Related Links:
WIAC Championship Web Page
 
The No. 16 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater volleyball team sealed its 31st consecutive appearance in the semifinals of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship Tuesday night with a 25-17, 25-13, 25-16 triumph over UW-Stout in the first round of the postseason tournament, presented by Culver's.
 
The third-seeded Warhawks (21-7 overall) will visit No. 2 seed UW-Eau Claire Thursday at 7 p.m. with a trip to the championship match on the line.
 
UW-Whitewater tallied 15 blocks and a .302 hitting percentage and held the Blue Devils (9-20) to a .018 hitting percentage.
 
Sophomore outside hitter Rachel Butterfield (Milton, Wis./Milton) collected a team-high 11 kills to go along with six blocks and three digs. Junior outside hitter Amanda Spera (Antioch, Ill./Antioch) posted 10 kills on a .429 hitting percentage and added three digs, and senior middle hitter Courntey Wagner totaled six kills, three digs and a team-best seven blocks.
 
Junior setter Elizabeth Niestrom (Darien, Ill./Hinsdale South) registered 31 assists, three digs and six blocks. Sophomore middle hitter Ashton Doll (Lancaster, Wis./Lancaster) finished with four kills and six blocks, and senior right side hitter Sydney Racky (Walworth, Wis./Big Foot) recorded eight kills, two service aces, three digs and two blocks.
 
Junior libero Brittany Robinson (Menomonee Falls, Wis./Menomonee Falls) contributed a team-high 19 digs and added three assists.
 
The Warhawks jumped on UW-Stout early in the first set, turning a 4-2 deficit into a 7-4 lead on the serve of freshman defensive specialist Abigail Boyden.
 
UW-Whitewater doubled its lead to 14-8 by the midway point of the set and didn't look back en route to a 1-0 advantage.
 
The Warhawks scored six of the first seven points in the second set on a run that included two kills by Butterfield and an ace by Racky.
 
The Blue Devils got as close as three, but UW-Whitewater finished the set on an 8-2 run to take a 2-0 match lead.
 
UW-Stout took a 2-1 lead early in the third, but the Warhawks recorded the next seven points on Racky's serve to take an 8-2 advantage.
 
The Blue Devils made a run of their own to narrow their deficit to 11-8 and force a UW-Whitewater timeout, but the Warhawks answered with an 8-1 spurt and took control of the set.
 
The winner of Thursday's match at UW-Eau Claire advances to face either No. 1 seed UW-La Crosse or No. 5 seed UW-Oshkosh in Saturday's final.